Page 8 - HME Business, April 2017

News / Trends / Analysis
Verma Takes Helm of CMS
Seema Verma takes first joint action with HHS Secretary Price after Senate approves her as CMS Administrator
After the Senate voted
55-43 to approve her appointment, Seema Verma was sworn in as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and within a day began laying the groundwork for Medicaid reforms.
Verma is founder and president of health-
care policy consulting firm SVC Inc. (svcinc.org) She worked with Vice President Mike Pence to designing a Medicaid expansion for Indiana when Pence was governor of that state.
In her first action after being sworn in, Verma undertook a joint action with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, MD, to co-sign a
letter to the nation’s governors (bit.ly/2m2M2Br) affirming the Department’s intent to work with states on improving the Medicaid program.
“Today, we commit to ushering in a new era for the federal and state Medicaid partnership where states have more freedom to design programs that meet the spectrum of diverse needs of their Medicaid population,” Price and Verma wrote. “We wish to empower all states to advance the next wave of innovative solutions to Medicaid’s challenges — solutions that focus on improving quality, accessibility, and outcomes in the most cost-effective manner.”
Where the HME industry is concerned, the American Association for Homecare released
a statement that it “looks forward to engaging [Verma] and CMS staff to address
a wide range of regula- tory issues affecting HME suppliers and patients.” n
Within a day of approval of as CMS Administrator, Verma began working on improving the Medicaid program.
CRT Legislation Reintroduced
in Both Chambers of Congress
House and Senate bills aim to protect complex rehab accessories from bid pricing.
“Plain and simple, MIPPA 2008 [the Medicare Improvements for Providers and Patients Act] exempted CRT power chairs and accessories from the bid program.”
“Without adequate funding, suppliers won’t
be able to provide these very specialized prod- ucts that are essential to allow patients to stay in their homes, which is both their preferred outcome as well the cost-effective place for them to be,” said Jody Wright, president of Rocky Mountain Medical Supply and CRMC member. “I hope that companies in the CRT space will reach out to their Senators and Representative and ask for their support for this much-needed legislation.”
To jumpstart those advocacy efforts, the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology called on CRT providers to join its CRT Leadership and Advocacy Conference (ncart.us/crtconf), which will be hosted in the Washington, D.C. area on April 26 and 27.
The conference, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va., will provide regulatory and legislative updates, networking opportunities, and will orga-
nize providers’ Capitol Hill appointments with their members of Congress. Attendees of the conference will visit members of Congress to push for passage of not only S. 486 and H.R. 1361, but legislation to make CRT an entirely separate benefit.
“The clock is ticking,” said NCART Executive Director Donald Clayback. “The delay in Medicare payment cuts to CRT Wheelchair accessories expires on June 30 and we need a permanent fix. We have no time to waste and your presence will make a difference!” n
Legislation to prevent CMS from applying competitive bidding-based rates to reimbursement for complex rehab accessories has been reintroduced into the House and Senate and industry advocates are calling on stakeholders to support the bills.
Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), launched S. 486 into the upper chamber, and Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) and John Larson (D-Conn.) introduced the H.R. 1361 companion bill into the House.
Currently, the CURES Act delays the appli- cation of competitive bidding-derived pricing
reductions for CRT accessories until July 1. The two new bills aim to prevent that appli- cation for good.
“CRT providers need
a permanent fix that will
ensure that they can
continue to support
individuals with serious
disabilities that depend
on this specialized
equipment,” said Tom
Ryan, president and
CEO of AAHomecare.
“If bidding-derived
pricing is allowed to
slash reimbursement
rates, these companies
simply can’t provide
the level of clinical
care associated with
CRT products and accessories, including patient evaluation, as well as configuration, fitting, and adjustments for the equipment.”
“The clock is ticking,” said Donald Clayback, executive director of the National
Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology, who urged providers to attend the April 26-27 CRT Leadership and Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. The event will help providers lobby lawmakers to support H.R. 1361 and S. 486. (Read “National CRT Conference Slated for April 26-27,” page 12, to learn more.)
WEBINARS
More industry intelligence is available at hme-business.com.
Free Wound Care Webinar — Wound care can put HME providers in the fast lane to increased profitability, but which is the right on-ramp for your business? Now available for free at hme-business. com/webinars, you can watch and listen to “Wound Care: Picking the Right Path,” which is available thanks to sponsor McKesson Corp. Presenter Heather Trumm, BSN, RN, CWON, the director
of wound care for VGM Group Inc., explains the market basics, the various wound care categories, and the payment opportunities for HME providers.
8 HMEBusiness | April 2017 | hme-business.com
Management Solutions | Technology | Products
“After two timely delays, rehab providers are finally at a critical juncture where the ill-conceived proposed cuts to 171 CRT accessory codes can be put to rest,” said Georgie Blackburn, vice president of government relations and legisla- tive affairs for mobility provider BLACKBURN’S.